Fabric of the week: Simplex

If you have noticed the soft feel and firm stretch of a pair of gloves, you have most likely noticed simplex, a fabric used most commonly for vintage gloves. 

Simplex 

Made on a tricot machine, simplex is a firm knit that shows plain stitch knits on both sides, instead of tricot’s zigzag reverse. 

Uses: For gloves, cotton simplex is used after shrinking and sueding. It is heavier than tricot, generally, and appropriate for bottom weight and more tailored items of clothing. 

See also:
Tricot

Simplex, showing both face and reverse of fabric at edge of glove ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain, photo by Hoyt Carter

Beaded simplex gloves in my Etsy shop

Fabric of the week: Cotton velvet

Here is something that once puzzled me: What is the difference between cotton velvet and velveteen?

Velveteen 

Made of cotton, velveteen has a smooth, soft, short-cut pile on a plain or twill weave ground. Velveteen is related to cotton velvet, but of weft pile weave rather than velvet’s warp pile weave. It is related to corduroy but without that fabric’s vertical rows of wales. Velveteen’s dense pile is slightly flatter and shorter than that of cotton velvet. 

Uses: Dressy but less expensive (than velvet) in women’s and children’s clothing

Cotton velvet

Velveteen ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

Do you see the vertical lines in the cotton velvet? And the horizontal lines in the velveteen?

That’s how I was able to determine that this coat in my web store is made of cotton velvet.

To be truthful, I am not sure if I would be able to discern some fabrics with any accuracy if it weren’t for this tool, a linen tester. Highly recommended if you want to know the thread count of a fabric, as well as magnify it. Obviously a magnifying glass would do just fine for close-up viewing:

Fabric term of the week: Shadow stripes

This fabric term of the week allows me to highlight one aspect of the VFG Fabric Resource, the contributions by Claire Schaeffer. If you don’t know of Claire’s work, here is the brief Amazon biography:

Claire Shaeffer is a respected author, lecturer, college instructor and columnist. She frequently contributes articles to sewing magazines, and has authored many books, including Sew Any Patch Pocket, Couture Sewing Techniques, Sew Any Fabric and The Complete Book of Sewing Shortcuts. Claire Shaeffer makes her home in Palm Springs, California.

Her books are enjoyable reads, interesting, highly informative and skillfully researched. Claire is an expert on couture sewing techniques. To put it a little less dryly, she’s all over the place behind the seams!

A few of Claire Schaeffer’s most recent books

I am acquainted with Claire Schaeffer through the Vintage Fashion Guild, of which she is a member, and when she offered a number of definitions from her Fabric Sewing Guide for use in the VFG Fabric Resource I certainly jumped at the chance. It was difficult taking all the best-known fabric resource materials and summarizing without copying. I felt like I was trying to reinvent the wheel. Claire’s succinct definitions, of which I used about 40, were (and are) a huge asset.

Shadow stripes 

Subtle stripes created by weaving the stripes with the same-color yarn with a different twist, weave or with blended yarns slightly lighter or darker. 

From Fabric Sewing Guide by Claire Schaeffer. Krause Publications, Cincinnati, 2008. Used by permission.

©Vintage Fashion Guild - photo by Hoyt Carter

 New in my webstore is a 1950s shirtwaist dress by Anne Fogarty, the fabric made of cotton with shadow stripes, as well as printing.

 The front of the bodice is cut on the bias, so the shadow stripes make a flattering V. Tiny tucks on the vertical add to the visual interest. (Attention to detail—just one of the many reasons to love vintage clothing!)

Fabric of the week: Burn-out fabric

Are you burned out on fabric? No I’m not either. On the other hand, here is a fabric that is burned out.

Burn-out fabric 

Burn-out (burned-out, burnt-out) fabric is woven of more than one fiber type, then printed with a chemical that will destroy the surface fiber, leaving the ground intact. The result is a fabric patterned with a distinct surface and ground. The ground is usually sheer. 

Velvet is probably the most common type of burn-out fabric. Dévoré (literally “devoured”) velvet is synonymous. 

Uses: Evening wear, bridal, scarves 

See also:

Burn-out velvet
, Dévoré velvet
, Façonné velvet
, Velvet

Burn-out fabric (1930s)

Burn-out velvet (1930s) ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

I’ve just listed this 1920s burn-out velvet dress in my Etsy shop:

Fabric term of the week: Flocked fabric

Flock is a word you know as a number of birds together, or congregants at a church, or sheep, or tourists. I don’t blame you if you don’t know the fabric definition...it is often missing from regular dictionaries.

Flocked fabric 

Flock is the name given to very short fibers, either from fabric-making waste or created from rags. A flocked fabric is one on which flocking has been applied with an adhesive, either all over or in a pattern. A common flocked print is dotted swiss. Any fabric weight can be used. 

Flocked fabrics have improved, but the all-over flocked (velvet-like) fabrics can be fairly stiff. Flocking also has the tendency to wear off. 

Uses: Dresses, household decoration, aprons 

See also:
Dotted swiss

Flocked organdy

Flocked voile ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

Currently in my Etsy shop: 50s iridescent taffeta dress and bolero with flocked paisley pattern

Last day for the manatees

Did that title worry you?

I am always worried about manatees—I wouldn’t want to live on a planet without them. 

My goal is to complete raising the funds for a manatee tracking monitor by the end of tomorrow. If you haven’t already contributed at my YouCaring.com page, or purchased from my shops (1/3 of your purchase going to this cause) this is the time. We are 90% of the way there with 24 hours to go.

Man versus Manatee (http://mvsm.omnomzom.com), used by permission

Fabric of the week: Crepon

One of the fabrics with a look reminiscent of tree bark...elegant tree bark that is. 

Crepon 

Crepon and its close cousin bark crepe are characterized by lengthwise wrinkles. Bark crepe resembles the bark of a tree and is usually cotton, linen or rayon. Crepon, too, has a sturdy, vertically-rippled textured and may be silk, manufactured fiber, wool or cotton. The fabrics are compound fabrics, woven on dobby or jacquard looms.

Uses: Dresses, blouses, suits, interior decorating 

See also:
Matelasse

I am fortunate to have this 1960s Helga dress in my Etsy shop right now...I don’t see crepon often. This one was made on a jacquard loom (look at the complexity in the closeup).

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text and photos by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain

Fabric of the week: Batik

Even if you haven’t heard the name, I’m sure you have seen this famous fabric. What some may not know is how batik gets its uniquely marbled appearance. 

Batik

An ancient form of resist printing from Indonesia in which wax is used in patterns where dye is not desired. The wax resist is then removed and the process may continue, creating rich multicolored patterns—most often in blues, browns and oranges. Characteristic of batik are tiny lines where the wax has cracked and the dye has seeped into the resist pattern. This is not considered a flaw, rather part of the fabric’s distinct beauty. Originally almost always made of cotton, batiks today are usually cotton can be made of silk or blends. 

Imitation batik is machine printed to resemble true batik. 

Uses: Apparel, household decor 

See also: Tie-dye

Batik-printed handwoven silk from India

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text and photo by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain

Currently in my web store is a fascinating silk batik 7-piece outfit

Fabric of the week: Linen

It’s high summer, shouldn’t we best talk about linen? 

I am fascinated by this fabric, in part because in my yard I have small blue flowers nodding on their delicate stalks—flax. It is hard for me to imagine the process by which sturdy linen is made from the flax plant, and how it ever got created in the first place. Do click on the flax link below for more information on this very useful plant.

A field of flax in bloom. Photo by Nick O'Doherty via Wikimedia Commons

Linen

Both a fabric and a fiber, linen is one of the oldest of textiles, with examples dating from many thousands of years B.C.E. 

The fabric is made of the fibers of the flax plant, and because of the natural variations in the fibers, characteristic slubs occur in both warp and weft. It is of a balancedplain weave. Linen is coveted for its absorbency, strength even when wet, being lint-free and quick-drying. It is famous for its use in making garments worn in hot climates. The name linen is derived from linon, the Greek word for the flax plant, and linum, the Roman word. 

Bedding and table coverings can be called linens, no matter what their fabric. 

Uses: Suits, slacks, skirts, dresses, tablecloths, dish towels 

See also: Butcher cloth, Butcher linen, Handkerchief linen

Two examples of linen

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

Early 60s Jane Derby linen dress in my web store

Fabric of the week: Weft piqué

Once you have identified weft piqué it will stick with you, it is so distinctive. It was one of my “mystery” fabrics when I started working with vintage clothing, and most often I have found summery cotton Hawaiian dresses made of this. Compare weft piqué to warp piqué and I’m pretty sure you will not forget either one.

Weft piqué

Weft piqué features a horizontally corded texture on its face, and a distinctly different reverse side. It is woven on a dobby loom and is made of cotton or cotton blends. Piqué is a French word meaning “quilted”; piqué fabrics have the appearance of being subtly padded. 

Uses: Dresses, blouses, sportswear, children’s clothing 

See also: Piqué, Warp piqué

Weft piqué face

Weft piqué reverse

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

The dress from which the close up photo was taken, in my Etsy shop now

Fabric term of the week: Novelty print

This week we come to an all-time favorite.

Novelty print 

Novelty, or conversational, prints feature motifs that are neither abstract nor simple florals. Frequently the prints feature themes such as places, activities or holidays. The prints can range from the very simple to such complexity as to be hard to discern; from black and white to many-colored; and from serious to whimsical (more often the latter).z 

With any interesting print, check the selvage in case there is information that identifies the print and the maker.

1940s “date for the ballet” novelty print rayon ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Photo by Hoyt Carter, text and additional photos by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain

50s poodles in Paris novelty print cotton

Selvage information identifying a print by Stig Lindberg for the Nordiska Kompaniet

To say I'm fascinated by novelty prints would be an understatement. I have considered keeping nothing but in my closet, except I love polka dots almost as much! Here are a few of my favorite vintage novelty prints from the sold archives, a Flickr set.

 Currently in my shop is a 1960s blouse with butterflies and the word butterfly in many languages

...and a 60s antique sailing ship print

Fabric of the week: Terry knit

This week’s fabric is one that is great for summer casual wear...and was often used for this in the 1970s and 80s.

Terry knit

A plain stitch knit fabric with a set of yarns pulled out on the technical back to form loops, as in woven terry cloth. Unlike woven terry, the loops are only on one side, and the fabric stretches. 

Terry knit is usually made of cotton and cotton blends, also manufactured fibers. It probably was originally made of silk. 

Uses: Sportswear, loungewear, sleepwear, children’s clothing 

See also: Terry cloth, Velour knit

Terry knit

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photo by Hoyt Carter 

A vintage classic for this fabric: 1970s unused terry knit romper currently in my Etsy store

Fabric of the week: Crepe-back satin

This Fabric of the week has the option of using either side as its face. When I find crepe-back satin used for a vintage garment, that item most often has dated from the 1920s or 1930s. It is a wonderfully substantial and fine fabric. 

Crepe-back satin

Lustrous on one side and with a crepe texture on the other, this light to medium weight fabric is called crepe-back satin when its glossy side is its face, and satin-back crepe when the dull side is the face. It can be called crepe satin or satin crepe as well. Sometimes the contrasting sides of the fabric are both used on the outside of a garment. Characteristically silk, it can be made of rayon or manufactured fibers. 

Uses: Blouses, dresses, evening gowns, lining 

See also: Charmeuse

Crepe-back satin - Face and reverse shown, with selvage down the middle ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photo by Hoyt Carter 

In my Etsy store I have a silk crepe-back satin dress dating from the 1920s. This dress doesn’t show the crepe side on the face anywhere, but I have run across dresses (one from the 1930s comes to mind first) that used both sides to great advantage.

Fabric of the week: Batiste

Although it has streaks in both directions, you can tell batiste from its cousins by its plentiful lengthwise streaks. This, along with all my Fabric of the week posts, comes from the VFG Fabric Resource.

Cotton batiste

Named for Jean Baptiste, a French weaver of the 13th century who wove fine linen cloth, batiste is now most commonly made of cotton or a cotton/polyester blend, The fabric is light and sheer, with lengthwise streaks. It is a balancedplain weave. When cotton is used, the soft, limp fabric is often mercerized to bolster its luster and strength. The fabric is often white, pale solids or delicate prints. 

There are also wool, silk and rayon batistes. 

Uses: Blouses, shirts, nightwear, infant clothing, lingerie, handkerchiefs and dresses 

See also:  Cambric,  Lawn

Cotton batiste ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photo by Hoyt Carter 

1920s embroidered cotton batiste blouse in my Etsy shop

Fabric of the week: Plissé

Fabric nerd alert: Not all fabric with puckered stripes is called seersucker. If you learn how plissé and seersucker are made, you probably will be able to spot the difference.

Plissé

Cotton fabric with a puckered stripe texture caused by a chemical treatment (with sodium hydroxide) is called plissé. The chemical is applied in stripes which causes the fabric in those areas to shrink, leaving the remaining area puckered. The puckered stripes usually follow the warp of the fabric. The appearance is much like seersucker. 

The term plissé (French for “pleated”) is often applied to chemically-puckered manufactured fabrics as well. 

Uses: Summery shirts, sportswear, children’s clothing, nightgowns 

See also: Seersucker, Cotton crepe

Cotton plissé

Nylon plissé ©Vintage Fashion Guild - This photo by Hoyt Carter, Text and additional photos by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain  

1940s cotton plissé sun suit/romper currently in my Etsy shop

The Fabric term of the week returns with Leno weave

Did you miss the Fabric of the Week? Well like it or not, it’s back! :)

With things starting to warm up here in the Northern Hemisphere, I hope to concentrate on fabrics well suited to summer.

Airy leno weave is not one of the basic weaves, rather it is a variation on plain weave. Read on:

Leno Weave 

Leno weave insures a more stable open weave than could be accomplished with a plain weave. It is made by pairs of warp yarns arranged crisscrossing the weft yarns, holding the weft yarns evenly apart. 

It is also called doup weave, named for the doup attachment on a loom which manipulates the warp yarns. Somewhat erroneously, the weave is also called gauze weave. Gauze fabric can be in a leno weave, but is often plain weave. 

See also:
Mock leno

Leno weave

Leno weave, heavily sized

Leno stripe ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

Early 40s leno weave rayon dress in my Etsy shop

Fabric of the week: Organza

The fabric of the week is a personal favorite, particularly if made of silk. It says party like almost nothing else.

Organza 

Organza is a balanced plain weave similar to organdy in that it is crisp and very sheer, but it is not quite as stiff as organdy. It is also made of filament silk (or nylon, polyester or rayon) instead of cotton. When made of silk, the stiffness comes from the natural gum that remains on the filaments, while manufactured fibers require a finish. Organza is often used as a ground for embellishment such as embroidery, cut-work embroidery, and tufting (achieved in the weaving process) or flocking. 

Uses: Blouses, dresses, evening wear, bridal wear, girl’s dresses, facings, interfacings, linings for sheer fabric 

See also:
Chiffon, Mousseline de soie, Organdy

 ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photo by Hoyt Carter 

70s dress with an organza outer layer, in my Etsy store—organza is perfect for the dress's ruffles

Fabric of the week: Waffle cloth

Cool in warm weather, texturally interesting, waffle cloth is a vintage summer wear staple. (It snowed yesterday here in Spokane, but I insist on thinking ahead!)

Waffle cloth 

A dobby weave cotton fabric with a small, waffle-like texture of raised squares woven into the material. Waffle cloth is synonymous with waffle piqué, and is related to all the other fabrics with small dobby-woven textures. 

See also:
Birdseye piqué
Honeycomb
Huckaback
Piqué

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photo by Hoyt Carter

New in my Etsy shop: 60s waffle piqué dress

Fabric of the week: Tulle

Welcome to the the Valentine week edition of the Fabric of the week!

Today, a fabric in which many a woman has flirted, danced, walked hand-in-hand and even wed. 

Tulle

Fine netting with a hexagonal mesh, tulle may be of silk (as it was originally), cotton or rayon, but most commonly nylon since the 1950s. In 1768, the netting was machine made for the first time in Notthingham, England. The French city of Tulle first produced its namesake netting by machine in 1817, much aided by the invention of the bobbinet machine in 1806. 

Uses: Bridal veils, evening gowns, crinolines, veiling, millinery trim 

See also:
Illusion
Point d’esprit
Bobbinet 

Nylon tulle

Silk tulle ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

Printed tulle gown by Emma Domb, in my web store

Fabric of the week: Butcher cloth

Have you seen a fabric that seems much like linen, but you’re pretty sure it isn’t? If you are interested in vintage clothing you will see this fabric regularly. From the VFG Fabric Resource:

Butcher cloth

Butcher cloth is rayon or rayon/cotton, spun and woven to resemble linen with linen-like slubs. Butcher cloth used to be called butcher linen, but that is no longer correct according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. 

Uses: Dresses, suits, skirts 

See also:
 Butcher linen, Linen

Machine-embroidered butcher cloth ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photo by Hoyt Carter

Robin's egg blue butcher linen dress currently in my Etsy shop